Complicated
by Hebetude
Summary: Odessa is a girl with no hope for freedom. Her life is flipped upside down when she's forced into an arranged marriage with someone who she not only has never met, but who lives in a completely different country. What does this mean for her already existing relationship? Will the two be able to put aside their differences and fall in love? /On Hiatus/ -Unedited, critique welcome
1. Informed

Holding Adrian's hand, I allowed him to lead me through the snowy landscape of his estate. We were in the back fields, near the lake which was hidden from view by wild foliage. "'Dessa, I wish we could spend every day like this." I smiled up at him, his dark brown hair falling slightly in his eyes of blue. Jumping into step with him, I pecked his cheek before running in the direction we were facing.

-

"Tamaki, what are you doing?" Haruhi asked me, her angelic voice filling the quiet room. "Haruhi my dear, I am going to play for you!" Smiling lightly, I watched her take a seat just beside the grand piano that stood alone in the large hall. Looking at her lovingly, I sat at the stool and allowed my fingers to dance across the keys; a slow, passionate melody arising from the instrument in front of me. The song was a new composition of mine, 'Mon Seul et Unique'. After about twenty seconds of playing, I started to sing in French, the words flowing with the music "_My dear, my princess don't forget your vows. Our love shall be everlasting..._" Of course, she wouldn't understand, but she would get the meaning behind the melody.  
>As I finished, I looked up to see her gazing at me, tears in her eyes. "I hope you enjoyed it, my love." Haruhi simply nodded and leaned up to kiss me on the cheek. Her soft lips caressed the side of my face, spreading a gentle warmth across my cheeks. "Thank you Tamaki, that was beautiful."<p>

-

"Miss Odessa, your parents are waiting for you in the foyer." I smiled at Adrian's maid, her French was perfect, but you could tell she wasn't used to speaking it, seeing as Adrian's family spoke German at home. Smiling shyly, I reached up and pecked Adrian's cheek before wondering to the foyer to meet with my parents who were waiting to take me home.  
>"Darling, we have some news for you, please don't be mad." Daddy started off, Mum's gaze shifted to me in the mirror of the car. "What is it?" They both seemed to shift uncomfortably, automatically switching to Ukrainian as they continued, their mother tongue. "Odessa, we've made an arrangement with an old family friend that will save our family from all our debt. It's a large thing to ask, but it would really help us and your siblings. After all, we want them to grow up with the best they can get." Mum's rambling showed how nervous she was. "Mum, Daddy, what is this favour?" Once again, they shifted uncomfortably, meeting one another's eyes before Daddy continued on from where Mum left off. "You see, this arrangement, it's more of a marriage proposal." My eyes narrowed, unsure of what he meant by that. "Marriage?" Mum turned in her seat to look at me. "I'm afraid the cost for your brothers' and sister's future is your hand in marriage." I was shocked to say the least. I could see the concern in Mum's beautiful blue eyes, the sorrow she felt for doing this, but all I felt was betrayal. "Who?" This time Daddy answered me, "a boy in Japan, he's half French, and his Grandmother was friends with my father. I do believe the boy's name was René." Nodding slowly, the anger slowly grew, leaving me simmering.<p>

-

"Tamaki, I'm afraid I have some important news for you." My father stated, motioning for me to take a seat. I did so, looking up at him nervously. "As you know, it is custom for families such as ours to organize arranged marriages between our children." My eyes widened, realizing what he was getting at. "But father, what about Haruhi? I can't just leave her, I love her!" Father looked down, guiltily, at his lap. "I know, but this contract, it's not only about business, it's also the only way to save this family. Please understand, this is a favour from years ago being called on and I really cannot deny it. I'm sure you can try and talk to the other party of the engagement, but I have no insight as to what her views are on this arrangement." I was dumbstruck, the fury in my gut growing stronger and stronger. "Please Tamaki, at least try... I know you love Haruhi, and I think of her as a daughter... But I really can't deny this contract. I'm sorry." As Father finished speaking, I heard his voice crack and looked up to see him looking at me with moist eyes; sorrow and guilt showing genuinely in those orbs of his. At his gaze, the anger seemed to melt away to a low level. "I... I need to talk to Haruhi..." With that, I stood and exited Father's study, calling for a car to take me to my girlfriend's house.


	2. Resignation

When we arrived home at our small apartment, I climbed out of the vehicle and locked myself in my bedroom. Like every other time I got upset, I stripped down to my underwear and tied my hair up. Once that was done, I grabbed all of my body lotions, nail products and make up and set it out neatly beside my full length mirror. Smiling sadly, I started to moisturise my body, the lotion making my skin feel strange but overall relaxing me. Then I started on the make-up; carefully lining my eyes with black liquid eye-liner, giving a much smoother, neater look than pencil. Opening all of my eye shadows, I chose the colours gold, black, brown, and green. Gently, I blended the colours until the inner corners of my lids were black and blending out into a soft, warm green. Finishing my eyes, I applied some mascara before setting to work on my lips. I didn't do much there, just coated them in a lightly coloured gloss to show the fullness of them.

Feeling much calmer, I looked over all of my nail polishes, there were about a dozen. Choosing my favourite gold, I painted my nails and sat there, looking out my window as I waited for them to dry. It was snowing lightly; a thin layer slowly forming on the ground, split only by the occasional car or pedestrian. Sighing, I thought over what my parents had done. I mean, sure I wanted my siblings to have a good life, the twins are only four and Mikhail's only slightly older at six.

Noting that my nails were dry, I slipped on an over sized jumper and made my way towards the twins room. Once there, I checked to see what they were doing; playing house. Since they don't have many toys, they had to imagine most of the items they were using, their only toys really being hand-me-downs from me. Dmitri seemed to be pretending to read a book while Aneta was holding an old baby doll. Smiling at my youngest siblings, I walked through to the living room to see Mikhail sitting on Mum's lap as she knitted. Dad wasn't there, probably at work again. "Do I really have to?" I asked quietly, knowing that Mikhail wouldn't have an idea what I was talking about. Mum's eyes moved to me, she had a sombre expression on her face. "I'm afraid it's the only way to get out now that we're this far in debt." Nodding slowly, I made my way over to our old arm chair and curled up into a ball, resignation lining my face. "When?" My voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm not sure; nothing has been planned. You'll be flying out to Japan to meet him in a week though." Once again, I nodded and just lay there, wondering what my 'fiancé' was like.

-

The driver pulled up at the curb beside Haruhi's apartment. Quickly I jumped out; my face showing the anger, betrayal, and sadness of what I was about to inform her. As I knocked on the door I thought of how I would tell her. If only Kyoya was here, but he's on a family 'vacation' in England. The door opened to reveal Ranka, not yet dressed for work. "Oh, it's you. Haruhi!" He then went back to whatever he was doing and left me to find her myself. I closed the door behind me before going down the short hall to her bedroom. Knocking on her door, I waited for her to allow me access before entering. She was sitting on her bed, a laptop on her crossed legs. "What's wrong?" She asked, concern evident in her voice. "Engaged. My father has done it again." She cocked her head to the side, not understanding what I meant. There was a deadly seriously air about the room, not the happy-go-lucky one that usually surrounded me. Gently, I sat beside her and took her hand. "My father, he's arranged a marriage for me." Her eyes widened in shock, mirroring my first reaction. "Can't you refuse? Your dad wouldn't really make you would he?" I just shook my head sadly. "The thing is, apparently this girl's family is struggling, they're not rich like I am. He said it was a favour for an old friend, but that I can try and talk to her." Haruhi seemed to slowly calm down, a depressed look taking over her face. "When?" "I don't know, I don't even know when I'm going to meet her, or if she even wants this." We just sat there in silence, trying to comfort one another until it became dark. I bid her farewell with a gentle kiss and made my way home, unable to stop thinking of ways to try and stop the engagement. But I knew I couldn't, not if a whole family was relying on my co-operation. I couldn't refuse helping them.


	3. Arrival

I looked back at my parents to see them smiling sadly at me before entering the passengers waiting area. After going through airport security, I had about half an hour to go before my flight was boarding. It had been a week since I was informed of my engagement and it was time for me to go to Japan so I could meet René. I spotted a gift shop and decided to kill some time by looking around in it. The clerk called out to me in French, and I looked up to reply. "I'm fine, just looking." He nodded and left me to do so. I looked around until I found the stuffed animal section, and automatically made my way towards it. I stroked the animals, feeling their soft fur rub against my fingers. After a few moments I spotted an owl; about as long as my forearm. It was a soft golden-brown and white. I just couldn't resist it so I picked it up and bought it. The clerk smiled at me, probably thinking it was a gift or something. Nobody really expects a seventeen year old to still adore plush toys, even when that seventeen year old is a girl. As I re-entered the waiting lounge I saw I had about five minutes before boarding and ended up spending that time staring out the window. It was beautiful, but it reminded me of when I told Adrian of my engagement. He didn't take it well. There was a lot of yelling and we had an enormous argument. It wasn't till the next day that he called me to apologize for his actions. Sighing, I heard my flight being called and made my way towards the gate. "**First class flyers on flight 293." **Looking down at my ticket, I sighed once again and went up to have it collected. Passing the staff member my passport, she looked at me before handing it back and nodding for me to go on.  
>First class was amazing, I could actually lie down and everything. It was going to be a long flight so I mentally prepared myself before placing my bag and my new friend under my seat. The safety demonstration passed and soon we were in the air.<p>

As we touched down in Tokyo, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Everything was so big! I couldn't understand a thing anyone was saying as I only spoke German, French, Ukrainian and just English to get by. Trying to find my way through the building was hard, but I managed to do it. As I checked out of the airport I searched for my ride and smiled in relief when I saw a sign with my name on it. Quickly, I pulled my bag towards the man and his... Limo. "Kon'nichiwa Revun-Sama" Nodding slowly, I smiled gently; though it didn't reach my eyes. I knew enough about Japanese culture to know that he had said hello to me, but that's about all the Japanese I knew along with 'yes' and 'no'. He took my bags and ushered me into the vehicle. The ride was quiet as the man seemed to realize I didn't speak his language.  
>After about twenty minutes, we arrived at a large mansion and he helped me out of the limo before grabbing my bags and leading me inside. He motioned towards a door and I took it as a 'go in there now' sort of gesture. Doing so, I found a man who was quite handsome for his age. When he spoke, it was fluent French and I sighed in relief, knowing that I would know what he was saying. "You must be Odessa, my name is Yuzuru Suoh." There was a slight pause as he looked me over. "My, you really are beautiful aren't you? I'm so glad you're here, I'm sure Tamaki will be glad to meet you." I paused in confusion. "Um, who's Tamaki?" He seemed a bit taken aback before laughing lightly to himself. "That's right, you've probably heard of him as Rene; Tamaki is my son. He goes by his Japanese name here; though you're welcome to call him René. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Nodding, I smiled awkwardly. Yuzuru told me to go and freshen up and that the man who had driven me, Daisuke, would show me to a guest bedroom. He also informed me that I would only be staying in the first mansion tonight and that tomorrow I'd be taken to the second where René lives.<br>Daisuke lead me through the large building to a beautiful room, the wall's were papered with a soft lilac colour and the carpet was black with golden swirls. A large bed sat against the far wall covered in golden sheets. Spotting the door to the en-suite, I grabbed an outfit out of my bag and went to shower.  
>Once I had washed the knots out of my golden waves, I rinsed myself off and stepped into the steamy room. Drying myself off, I wondered if I would meet René today or wait until tomorrow. Either way, I counted myself lucky that I didn't have jet-lag. I quickly moisturised before dressing in some pale pink ripped jeans, a cream coloured jumper with a large owl on it, and my trusty combat boots. Fixing my hair, I made sure that the coloured streaks weren't messed up before exiting. I peeked my head into the hallway until I spotted Daisuke talk to a maid. I caught his attention and smiled at him shyly. "Yuzuru?" He seemed to understand my question and lead me back to the study I was in before. "Well, how would you like to meet your fiancé? He doesn't know you're here so it would be a nice little surprise." I forced a smile and nodded, "I'll call the driver, I have to get back to the academy as it is, so you can ride with me." I just stayed silent, unsure of how to respond.<p>

We pulled up to a large, pink, marble school. As much as I loved the colour pink, even I found that a bit strange. Yuzuru helped me out of the limo and lead me into the school where he got me a map. "I'm afraid I have some work to catch up on, but you can find him in music room #3 as it is club hours. Good luck." I smiled and thanked him before watching him walk away. Looking down at the map, I realized just how large this school was. "Dammit."


	4. Meeting

Making my way through the school, I saw the occasional student walking through the halls. Oh how I disliked the uniform, it really made me glad I wasn't a student. It was almost as if the girls were wearing giant, yellow marshmallows. Finally, I made my way up a staircase, my boots thudding on the polished floor, and found a door labelled as Music Room #3. Taking a breath, I wondered what this club could possibly be. Gently, I opened the door to see a room filled with girls in puffy yellow gowns gathering around five boys. As I stepped in, everything quietened down and it seemed like all the eyes in the room were glued to me. A boy with dark hair and glasses started to talk, but I just looked at him. I couldn't understand anything he was saying so instead I spoke in perfect French, "I don't understand Japanese." A tall boy with golden hair jumped up and ran to me, being extremely over-dramatic. I looked down at him, wondering why he was doing this until he started speaking in the same language as me. "What can I do for you my princess?" Looking him up and down, I saw a resemblance between him and Yuzuru. "Are you René?" He froze, his eyes narrowing as he lead me through to the back room, saying something to the dark haired boy as he went. "Yes, I'm René, how do you know my real name?" The goofy, aloof demeanour had had previously had disappeared completely. "My name is Odessa, and I believe you're my fiancé." There was a tense silence before he poked his head out of the room and said something to everyone inside. After a moment, he pulled me out into the main room just in time to see the last of the girls exiting the room. René said something else to the other four boys in the room before turning to me, "can you speak English?" I nodded slightly, "a little bit." The boy with glasses was first to speak, "Tamaki, what's so important that you need to end the clubs activities?" René took a breath, and I noticed him gently grab one of the other's hand. On further inspection, I noticed that the person whose hand it was seemed to be a girl in the boys uniform. He shared a small glance with her before she frowned. "Everyone, this is Odessa. My Fiancée." There were a few gasps, but at least the questions that came next were in English. Of course I couldn't answer any because they were being thrown at me one after another and too fast for me to comprehend. "Please, quiet." I murmured, just loud enough for them to hear. The red headed twins stopped talking and looked at each other. "This is Hikaru," one started. "And this is Kaoru." His brother finished. I nodded slowly before looking at each of their faces. The dark haired boy, who introduced himself as Kyoya, looked curious and slightly confused as he typed away on his laptop. The red-headed twins looked rather mischievous, shocked and a little bit angry, the sole girl in the room other than myself looked calm but I could tell she was angry. That she didn't like me being here at all. Finally, René looked a little sad, but at the same time a little happy.  
>Looking at them all, I noted just how handsome they all were, even with the various emotions running across their features. "I'm Haruhi," the girl said, forcing a polite smile. Sending her the same I couldn't help but feel guilty... She must have been René's girlfriend and I was splitting them apart, but then René is also splitting Adrian and I apart so it wasn't just her feeling upset. "I think we'll end this here today, I need to talk to Odessa about our engagement." The twins frowned but nodded, giving up whatever they seemed to be plotting. Kyoya nodded sharply and packed his computer away. Haruhi leaned up and kissed René's cheek before letting him go.<p>

Back at the main Suoh house, the two of us were sitting in my room. "I see you have a girlfriend..." I started out, not quite sure of what to say. "Yeah... We've been together for nearly three months. I mean no offence when I say this, but I really don't want to marry you." I smiled, genuinely, at that. "Neither, I only accepted because of my siblings. I don't see why my parents couldn't have made arrangements with my boyfriend, he's wealthy, though not as wealthy as you." We sat in silence for a while. "How did she take it, when you first told her you were engaged?" Rene looked at me, his violet eyes locking with my emerald orbs. "She was upset but she understands. Haruhi is really mature when it comes to things like this." Thinking back to Adrian's reaction, I wished he was the same. "Adrian didn't take it well, he shouted a lot... It really bothers him." René looked at me sadly, understanding how I felt a little more than before.


	5. Attack

We sat there for what must have been a good couple of hours, just talking; learning about one another. He told me about his mother in France, I told him about my siblings. By the time he had to go home, we had gotten to know each other and even become friends. Though we had no romantic feelings towards one another, the idea of being married wasn't as bad as it was originally.

Once René left, I dug out my pyjamas; a grey tank top and black lounge pants. I pulled my hair into a tight bun on the top of my head, only leaving my multicoloured bangs down to frame my face. I had a left side parting, the longer bang that covered most of my forehead was strawberry pink while the shorter bang was sky blue. The streaks in my hair alternated between those two colours. Looking at the clock, I noticed it was only about eight o'clock so I decided to go see what was happening about dinner. It took a while, but eventually I found the kitchen where the chefs were just putting the finishing touches on the dishes. I smiled when one of them looked at me and she smiled back before returning to her work.  
>About five minutes later, Yuzuru was called through and we ate in the large dining room. "So, what do you think of my son?" He asked me; always in French so I could understand. "He seems nice, very polite. Though I feel bad for Haruhi; this must be so horrible for her." Yuzuru looked at me, "I take it you two had a nice long conversation then." A small laugh escaped my lips, "yes, your son is quite the charmer. Very goofy though." This time he was the one to laugh. We continued to chat while we ate; it was nice. "Oh, my mother will be joining us for the main course," he mentioned and I just nodded, she can't be that bad if she's related to Yuzuru and René.<br>A moment later, an old woman entered the room and took a seat at the other end of the table to Yuzuru. She said something that I couldn't understand, and Yuzuru nodded. "I'm afraid my mother doesn't speak French like Tamaki and I do, don't be bothered by her." Nodding politely, I finished my meal and excused myself. In my bedroom, I thought about what it would be like to live here. I didn't think I'd be able to take it, it's so much different to Switzerland. Frowning to myself, I drifted off to sleep; letting the blackness of unconsciousness flood my senses.

When I woke up I lay in bed for a while, just allowing the warmth to embrace me. Eventually I got up and showered before changing into a similar outfit to yesterday's, only an electric blue tank top and a black off the shoulder t-shirt instead of a jumper. Looking through all my jewellery I found my old dog tags and placed them around my neck; the Ukrainian words making me feel more at home. Making my way through the mansion, I ran into Daisuke who handed me a note from Yuzuru.

_Odessa,  
>Daisuke is going to help you take your luggage to the second Suoh mansion.<br>Feel free to come by Ouran Academy when you're finished, I'm sure Tamaki would love to see you._  
><em>-Yuzuru<em>

I looked up to see Daisuke making his way towards my room. Following him, I helped to carry my bags down to the limo before he drove us to René's home. Once we arrived Daisuke carried my bags up to a room while the maids fussed over me. I couldn't understand what they were saying but it seemed like they were happy to have another girl around. As soon as Daisuke finished putting my bags away, we got back in the car and he drove me to the academy; it's beautiful gardens greeting me once again.  
>As I made my way towards Music Room #3, I saw more students in the halls and they kept stopping to stare at me, probably from my lack of uniform. Just as I was about to go up the stairs, a girl grabbed me and looked at me like I was some germ. She started talking, the only word I recognized was 'Tamaki', so I figured she was talking about René. I cocked my head to the side, she was rather snooty, and I didn't even know what she was saying. Suddenly, she grabbed me and made me fall on her, screaming as she did so. Haruhi and the guys all came rushing out of the room to see what was going on, only to find me on top of the girl, shocked. Looking down, I saw her smirk before shouting at them in a fake voice. "Um, René, what the fuck is she talking about? I really can't understand a thing she's saying..." René just sort of blanked when I swore, probably not expecting it, though I had told him that I do so on a regular basis. "Uh, she's saying you tried to attack her." Once that reached my ears, I couldn't hold in the laughter, it just burst out of me, make me roll off of the surprised girl. "Haha! Wow, that's hilarious!" I slowly calmed down; the occasional giggle still escaping my lips. René came down the stairs and helped me to stand. Once I was on my feet, I swore I saw Haruhi glaring at me, though it may have been at the girl. Still, it set me on edge and I looked to René, my mind made up. "I have an idea that I think both of use will like.<p> 


	6. The Deal

Once the scene that girl created was over, everyone returned to the host club and continued with their day. I joined René at his table where he made all of the girls swoon, in fact I think one fainted. I just sat there with a small smile on my face. I couldn't tell what they were saying but it didn't really matter. He'd occasionally say something in French that would make me blush, but other than that it was pretty uneventful. Once or twice Haruhi would stop the twins from doing something silly, and then they'd go back to their 'brotherly love' act and Haruhi would go back to talking with the girls around her. Eventually the girls had to leave and it was a club meeting. Most of what they talked about was in Japanese, but eventually they switched to English. "So Odessa, are you gonna be coming here for school?" Haruhi asked me politely, though I could tell she didn't want to talk to me. "I uh, I don't go to school." They all nodded, probably assuming I had graduated, before the twins got an evil look on their faces. "Odessa, do you like clothes?" I took it as an 'are you a typical girl who loves getting new clothes' type of thing. Shaking my head, I watched as their faces turned to shock. "Foul demon twins! Do not try to dress up the lovely Odessa in your horribly revealing clothes!" I rolled my eyes at how he was acting, it was kind of cute as it reminded my of Mikhail, but really annoying since he wasn't a six year old. "But, Mi' Lord!" Started Kaoru, while Hikaru finished his sentence. "What if she wants to?" I shook my head at them, "I actually hate getting new clothes." They were speechless at that one, while Kyoya just wrote something in his notebook. "What, do you already have heaps of clothes at home?" Haruhi's snide comment was noticed by everyone, a slight shock to her friends at how aggressive she was being. "No, I just don't like people spending money on me. I much prefer making my own clothes anyway." I noticed a thoughtful look come across the twins' faces but ignored it. "Besides, how would I? My family can barely afford food each week." She paused at that while I looked at René. "We should probably go, we have some important issues to discuss." He nodded solemnly and kissed Haruhi goodbye. I waved to the boys and made my way towards the exit of the school. While I waited for René to join me, the girl from earlier came up to me and started yelling at me. I was beyond confused, what the hell is with her? Then I heard René's voice carry across the courtyard. I heard my name while he was talking but it was the girl's face that surprised me, she seemed shocked, angry, embarrassed, and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. "What did you tell her?" I asked as he lead me away from the crying girl. "That you're my cousin and that you don't speak Japanese."

Once we arrived back at René's mansion, I let him lead me to the sitting room. He murmured something to a maid and she scurried off to do his bidding. It was strange, having people do that. "What is it?" He asked me as he sat down. "I think I know a way to keep everyone happy: You'll be able to stay with Haruhi, I'll be able to stay with Adrian, and we'll still fulfil the contract." This seemed to catch his interest. He motioned for me to continue. "An open relationship, and once we're married it can still continue as an open marriage." René cocked his head to the side, "open relationship, huh? You mean when you don't get in trouble for being with other people?" I nodded in response and a grin formed on my new friend's face. "Oh thank you my dear Odessa! You have no idea how much this means to me!" I felt his arms wrap around me as he pulled me into a great big hug. It was quite a nice hug. Suddenly, I felt a vibrating in my back pocket and I realized I hadn't called my parents yet. Quickly, I slipped out of his grip and answered my phone; automatically switching to Ukrainian, "Hello?" I heard my mum rambling on the other end of the line. "Yes, I'm here safely. I'm with René right now." I could see a confused look on the boy's face, probably from me speaking in a language he doesn't know. "I was going to call him soon. René and I have made a deal." A moment later, dad was on the line. "Hey Daddy, I found a way to stay with Adrian." I paused while he responded, "An open marriage. It's nothing major." As he started to argue, I got irritated. Why did he always pick fights with me? Having had enough, I hung up. Quickly I apologized to René and explained that I was about to call Adrian. This call would be in French so René would understand what we were saying but it didn't bother me at all. When he answered, he had his sleepy voice on making me smile slightly, "Hey Adrian."

"Yeah it's me. I found a way for us to still be together." He paused in shocked joy. "You should come over, I can text you the address when you get here." I had a large smile on my face as I spoke and I could hear René on the phone to Haruhi. "Love you too, bye." I said before hanging up, I let him sleep and sat down. A maid walked in carrying a tray of tea, she placed it on the coffee table in front of me and I smiled my thanks before pouring myself a cup.


	7. Disappearance

Once René finished his call he sat down with me, a large smile gracing his features. "So is Haruhi over me 'stealing you away from her'?" I asked him before smelling my tea, the amazing scent of chai filling my nostrils. "How did you know she felt like that?" His curious voice entered my hearing. "It was kind of obvious with her glaring at me all the time. Oh, and why does she wear the boys' uniform?" René's brows furrowed and he sighed, not for any obvious reason, it could have just been from the tea. "She owes the club a lot of money for breaking an expensive vase." Nodding, I sipped at my tea while we talked. After a few minutes, he started to become his hyper bubbly self once again, jumping around, exaggerating, and speaking quite loudly. "That's it! We should gather the hosts and go to visit my dearest Haruhi! Hurry, we must leave now!" Laughing a little. I followed him out to the car and tried to calm him down a little before he did something drastic.

It surprised me how quickly the twins arrived, but what surprised me even more was when two others showed up as well. One of them looked to be about twelve while the other looked about twenty. "Um, who're they?" I asked quietly as they walked towards us. "Those two are graduated students of Ouran Academy and ex-members of the host club." Graduated? The disbelief must have shown on my face as the small one bounced over, a pink bunny in his arms. "Hi! I'm Haninozuka Mitsukuni, but you can call me Honey, and this is Morinozuka Takashi but you can call him Mori." The boy said; I don't know how he knew to speak English, but I was grateful he did. "Hello Honey, hello Mori. I'm Odessa, it's a pleasure to meet you." The two men smiled at me, Mori more refined and calm while Honey grinned wholeheartedly. "Odessa, huh? I think I call you Ode-chan." The nickname made me slightly uncomfortable but I decided to bare with it. Adrian and my younger siblings were the only ones that called me by nicknames but they didn't know that.

Once everyone was ready we set off towards Haruhi's apartment; a place I was much more comfortable with than René's mansion. I waited quietly behind the boys as they laughed and joked while waiting for someone to answer the door. As sweet as they all seemed I just didn't feel comfortable around them. Maybe it was because I'd only known them a couple of days, but the only reason I had come with them is because René had insisted and I really had nothing else to do. I could barely understand what they were saying when they spoke English let alone when they spoke Japanese and that made it even worse. So there I was, silently waiting with a group of people I didn't know to be let into the home of another person's house who I didn't know and who didn't like me. Finally, after a few awkward minutes, the door opened to reveal a man with gorgeous long hair. He responded to the guys with a friendly tone except for a soft glare sent towards René. Quickly the boys piled through the door leaving me still standing outside unsure of whether to follow or not. I really didn't want to intrude. The man looked at me quizzically, saying something I couldn't understand. I just smiled awkwardly and slowly entered, only to stop in the doorway. In living area they were all messing around and I couldn't help but feel dejected. "This is pointless, why am I even here?" I muttered quietly in Ukrainian; the most comfortable of my languages. Unless I was talking to someone I would always choose that over French or German. Looking back to Haruhi's father I gently shook my head before turning and walking down to the street: Time to look around.

-

It was just like before Honey and Mori graduated; we were all sitting happily in Haruhi's living room joking around. "Hey Haru-chan, do you have any cake?" Honey-senpai's voice asked above the laughter coming from the twins. A weight lifted off my lap as my lovely girlfriend stood and lead Honey through to the kitchen. Smiling lightly at her retreating figure, I turned my attention to the twins who had somehow gotten a hold of Kuma-chan. "Unhand Kuma-chan foul twins!" I called as I sprung over to them, only to have them sidestep and smirk smugly at me. Chasing them around the room I tackled Kaoru and reached out to grab my beloved bear. Just as my hand wrapped around it's body, a low voice reached my ears. "Where's Odessa-san?" Perking up, I looked around and just as Mori-senpai had implied the foreign girl was nowhere to be seen. "Odessa?" I called, hoping that she had just left the room for a moment? Dammit, how had I forgotten about her? I was the only one that could fully communicate with her! "You must've scared her away boss-" One of the twins started, "-with you're perverted nature." the other finished. I felt myself deadpan and turned to the corner.

How could they call me perverted, those devilish twins. Suddenly remembering the current issue I stood and called a quick explanation to Haruhi before darting out of the apartment. "I can't have lost her already, it's only her second day in Japan!"


	8. Lost and Found

As it grew darker my decision to go for a walk suddenly turned into a bad one. Why hadn't I just stayed where there were people who could communicate with me? Sighing in frustration I turned into the park beside me and sat on a bench, head in hands. Pulling out my phone I tried to call René or Yuzuru only to find that I didn't have their numbers. Tears of frustration welled in my eyes; I was lost, alone, and unable to ask for help.

-

Frantically running around the block I called for my missing Fiancée only to hear nothing in response. Spotting some men at one corner I jogged over to them. "Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you but have you seen a girl with blonde, pink, and blue hair?" The men looked at one another before shrugging and shaking their heads. Frustrated, I gripped my hair and groaned. "Why, who is she?" One of them asked curiously. "My fiancée, she doesn't speak Japanese... I hope she's okay..." The man who had asked frowned thoughtfully, "well hopefully you find her, if I were you I'd try looking in public places." Nodding my thanks, I walked back towards Haruhi's apartment; it was now quite dark and I only prayed she had the sense to not go into any alleys. As I walked I tried to picture the neighbourhood; what public places were nearby?

-

The tears were coming in a steady flow now, my shoulders shaking as I cried in frustration. Soon enough they turned to full on sobs; my face must have been bright red and my eyes were gonna be really swollen later but I couldn't help it. Everything had just been going downhill for the past month. First Daddy had lost a lot of money in the stock market, then the twins had gotten sick, Adrian started acting weird, I was thrown into an arranged marriage to save my family financially, and now I was lost in a country half way across the planet from home. "Why... Why did this have to happen to me!?" I cried out into the night. Even if anybody heard they wouldn't understand, I highly doubted anyone spoke Ukrainian here. "Why couldn't I have finished school and gotten a job!? Why couldn't I..." I trailed off, slowly quietening down. "Why couldn't I have just had a simple life..." Once again the sobs took over my body. The thoughts racing through my mind just pulled at me harder and harder; Adrian and I would struggle, I'd barely see my family, and I was going to be married to someone I'd just met. How could it get any worse?

Suddenly a hand was on my shoulder, ripping a scream from my throat. Turning, terrified, I saw René mid-flinch. "Are you okay, Odessa? Why are you out here?" I stood, shaking his hand from me and looking at the ground. My hands balled into fists at my side I tried to ebb the tears away. "I..." I started only to silence myself. Shaking my head I walked towards the exit of the park only to find the others waiting at the gate. I didn't bother listening to a thing they said; I wouldn't understand properly anyway. Seeming to realize I wasn't going to respond they started heading back to Haruhi's. Said girl gave me a dirty look before grabbing René's hand and leaning into him. Once again my heart pulled, why couldn't Adrian be here? The twins followed, teasing the couple while Honey sat on Mori's shoulders yawning and falling asleep. Mori himself walked beside me. I hadn't heard him say anything, but I didn't blame him; the others made enough noise for him. "He was worried." The words were spoken in slow English. Glancing up at the tall man I nodded knowingly. I didn't know René well, but I did know he cared more for those around him than for himself. "Is he mad?" The tall man looked down at me, nodding once before continuing in silence. He was probably my favourite of the odd bunch to be honest; he was just sort of there, not in your face.

Finally we once again reached Haruhi's home where they all said farewell and returned home. As the limo drove René and I back to the mansion I couldn't help but notice the tense atmosphere. René wouldn't look at me, and in his reflection I saw a stony expression. Turning to look at my lap I let the silence continue.

"How could you go off like that? You could've been hurt! You don't know your way around at all, but you still decided it was a good idea to go off in a foreign city on your own? What's wrong with you Odessa!" René's shouts echoed through the mansion, the anger in his tone crushing me. I'd apologized so much already and tried to explain but he would have none of it. I was sitting against my door having locked him out when he started to yell. Hot tears burned in my eyes but I was determined not to let them fall. I had to be stronger, but it was hard. The only person I knew was mad at me and everything just felt hopeless. Homesickness ripped at my stomach, the hollow feeling strengthened by my unfamiliar surroundings. Hopefully Adrian would arrive soon and make everything better, I could only wonder how he was coping. Slowly I felt my eyelids drop until blackness took over my mind.


	9. Bad News

After a night of fitful dreams I awoke on my bed with a thin blanket draped over me. I could barely open my eyes for how swollen they were from crying the previous night. Sitting up I glanced at the clock on my bedside table; 10:47am. René would be at school then, thank god for that. "What should I do now?" I pondered aloud, trying to decide between breakfast and a shower.

Steam filled the room as the shower ran hot, a towel draped over on of the shower walls and fresh clothes on the floor. Grabbing a razor from my toiletries pack I hopped in the shower and began my routine. Soon enough I was clean and relaxed with smooth legs once again. Having decided to give my jeans a rest, I pulled on some camouflage print capris, a black crop top, and a grey military style vest and my combat boots. The capris tucked neatly into them giving a soldier-type look. Sighing I realized that even though I had skipped dinner I really wasn't hungry and decided to explore the mansion. I'd only seen the main rooms and the way to my room so far. Setting off I left no door unopened and did my best to not disturb the servants bustling around cleaning the place. At the opposite end of the hallway to my room I opened a door only to stand there gawking. It was massive and looked like it was prepared for royalty. Glancing around, I quietly entered and closed the door behind me. Photo frames stood on the desk by the door filled with pictures of René and his friends' especially of Haruhi. Walking further into the room I admired the rich red hues decorating the chamber. René's bear, Kuma-chan I believed to be it's name, sat by the pillows of the neatly made bed. Beside the bed a golden frame caught my eye; in it was a picture of a much younger looking René and a beautiful woman who was obviously his mother. He had her eyes after all, and she was much too old to be his sister.

The slamming of the front door woke me from my nap on the couch of the theatre room, the credits of Lord of The Rings scrolling down the large TV screen. "I'm home," a tired voice called. Yawning, I stretched and rubbed the sleep from my eyes just in time to see René exit the doorway after noticing me. Frowning I followed him towards his bedroom. Just as he was about to close the door behind him I spoke up, "when will you stop being mad?" I'd had time to think the night's events through and had decided that he was being immature; he didn't know what I was capable of and I had already apologized and admitted my mistake. He turned, holding the door open, and looked me in the eye. His gaze softened as he looked at me, "I'm sorry Odessa, I was worried something could have happened to you." Stepping cautiously towards him I looked him in the eye, though being almost a foot shorter than him made that rather difficult. "René, I know how to take care of myself. Unlike you I was raised in a middle-class environment. Not only that but I do know self defence." A soft smile found it's way onto his face Before he turned and closed the door. At least that was over with.

A buzzing by my ear woke me, causing me to groggily pick up my phone. A text message popped up on the screen and as I read it I became increasingly anxious. "What the fuck is he talking about, why can't he come?" Adrian's name sat at the top of the depressing message. Quickly I dialled his number and waited for him to answer. "Adrian, what do you mean you can't come? I miss you so much and I just..." My voice trailed off as I heard a faint voice in the background. "Is-Is someone else there?" The harsh words that followed almost tore me to pieces and it was all I could do to hang up before dropping my phone. More tears. What was with all the tears lately? But then, it had been a horrible, horrible month. The arm I was resting on gave way and I fell face first into my pillow just in time to let out a heart-wrenching sob.

-

Opening my eyes, I couldn't help but wonder what had woken me while it was still dark. Silence rang in my ears, at least until I heard the faint cries coming from down the hall. Sitting up I felt the sheets pool around my hips only to be thrust aside as I climbed off my large bed. Opening the door the cries grew slightly louder and as I walked down the hall they became increasingly so until I stopped outside Odessa's bedroom. Knocking gently, the was a pause in the sobs on the other side followed by footsteps. The lock clicked and opened to reveal a distraught Odessa. Without saying anything she fell into my arms, once again sobbing. Shocked by the contact and gently lead her back to her bed and sat her down. Crouching to look at her I took in her red eyes, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks like a small waterfall. Somehow I always ended up serious around her, it was rather disconcerting. Even at the club when she wasn't there I wasn't as cheerful as usual. Her hair was a mess, the blue and pink streaks mixing together and with the blonde. Her hands reached up to try and wipe her face dry only to have more tears replace those she wiped away. "What happened?" I asked resting a hand on her tear-stained cheek.


	10. Comfort

"Adrian, he-" I gulped, trying to hold in another sob. I was hyperventilating; trying desperately to calm down. "Shh, breathe: It's okay. What about Adrian?" René cooed gently, trying to help but hearing his name only brought more tears to my eyes. Minutes passed of me just breathing, the ragged gulps of air slowly slowing to a light panting. Light headed, dizzy, and overwhelmed I tried to get my thoughts straight. "He's not coming, h-he said he didn't want to see me. There w-was a girl there with him." The violet-eyed boy in front of me opened his mouth, understanding shining in his eyes, but nothing came out. Slowly his arms wrapped around me, holding me as more tears escaped my eyes.

-

I could feel the tears sinking through the silk of my nightshirt but I didn't mind. It escaped my understand how anyone could put someone who cared about them so much through something like this. No longer caring that she'd woken me up with her sobs I tightened my embrace around her, feeling her entire body shake with each laborious breath. Then I noticed what she was wearing, or to be more accurate; not wearing. My fingers brushed along soft skin and as I looked at the pale surface of her back I saw that it was marred solely by faint stretch marks on her hips. Gently running my fingers up and down I could feel the cotton-based fabric of her bra but chose to disregard it. Having a girlfriend didn't take away my rule of always comforting a girl just because said girl was only in her underwear. As guilty as I felt, I knew I would feel worse if I just left her alone, and seeing as she was technically my fiancée it was my duty to make sure she was okay.

As I woke I slowly remembered the night's events. Turning, I saw a swollen-eyed Odessa curled up around an owl plushy. Frowning at what she was going through I looked over at the clock only to realize I was late for school. Rushing out of the room I quickly showered and changed into uniform before sprinting out to the car. "Ah, good morning. Thank you for readying the car so quickly." The driver nodded back, used to my antics by now. I had a feeling I wouldn't be bouncy today either.

-

Standing in my underwear I looked over my reflection. Bags hung below my dull green eyes and my eyelids swollen and red. My gaze travelled down my reflection, from my messy streaked hair to my average sized breasts, then down my my stomach and thighs. Oh how I hated that particular area of my body. It wasn't because I was fat, in fact I was quite slim, but the stretch marks over my hips and the way the light reflected off the fine hairs on my stomach bothered me. There was also the cellulite, though not as bad as some girls, it was still there. Did she have scar-less features? Did she have a larger bust? Fuller curves? A warmer skin tone? What was so good about her that made her better than me?

Or was it the fact that I wouldn't sleep with him?

I heard a maid calling my name, her fractured French explaining that Yuzuru was on the phone. Walking down the stairs, my boots caused loud footsteps to bounce off the walls. "Bonjour?" Yuzuru, after telling me that he had called René, explained that there was to be a social event which I would be attending. "Am I going as René's fiancée or as an associate?" Nodding at his response I hung up and returned the phone to the maid. Holding up my hand, I stopped her from leaving immediately. "Where can I get a-" I was cut off from asking my question when René entered the foyer followed by the twins. "Ah here she is. Odessa, we're here to pick you up so you can choose a dress for tonight." Well, that answers that question. "Um, where from?" Luckily I knew enough English to ask that as the twins grinned smugly, "our mother is a fashion designer, don't you know?" Started Hikaru, while Kaoru finished with a "So you'll be picking from one of her designs!" Nodding slowly I ripped their hands off me when they tried to carry me away and walked calmly behind them. René seemed highly amused and started talking in loud Japanese with a victorious expression on his face. "Ne, Odessa-san, Tamaki is a creep isn't he? Acting as if you're a child." I shrugged in response to Kaoru's jibe while René vehemently denied the claim. "I don't really mind, Kaoru. It's different from how my family acts." He looked slightly taken aback at my statement and said something in Japanese causing Hikaru to freeze and René to walk into him. "You can tell us apart?" Nodding my head I smiled affectionately. Looking to René I silently asked him to translate as I wasn't sure how to say my response in English. "I have younger twin siblings, though not identical they can be quite hard to tell apart so I pay attention to detail." Hearing René say something in Japanese after every few words was strange, but better than embarrassing myself.

We piled into a limo and soon enough ended up at another mansion. Following the twins, I entered the foyer only to be swept off my feet by a couple of maids. Struggling the whole time I eventually escaped their clutches and glared angrily at them. "Don't fucking touch me," my Ukrainian burst from me. They may not have understand what I said, but it would seem having someone yell at you in Russian is rather intimidating. They allowed me to walk the rest of the way to what appeared to be a studio with a beautiful woman hard at work on a mannequin. She looked up, smiling and saying something I couldn't understand before motioning to a row of mannequins in dresses. They were all gorgeous. Scanning over them, I noted a couple that I liked; a black strapless cocktail dress with a split in the middle of it's sweetheart neckline, a silver spaghetti strapped cocktail dress with a strawberry pink skirt, and a strapless sky blue gown that gently brushed the ground with a sewn on ribbon under the bust and silver beading creating floral patterns across the bust and just below the ribbon. Noticing my interest, the twins' mother motioned for those three to be taken to a changing room.


	11. The Event

I stayed by René's side as the event began and smiled politely when approached. Whenever they addressed me he would explain that I didn't speak the language and translate for me. It was mainly pleasantries and questions about who I was. "I'm an associate of Yuzuru's" seemed to satisfy their curiosity and if they questioned why I was with René it was simply because we were the same age. The occasional server walked past with finger foods and wine, though I ignored the alcohol. "That's a beautiful gown if I may say so, Princess." I looked over at my blonde haired fiancé and rolled my eyes, "please don't host me, it's bad enough I have to be here." Though I would admit the dress was gorgeous; the blue matched the colour in my hair perfectly – which had been touched up at the roots before arriving – and the beading depicted beautiful roses and leaves travelling down to the left side of my waist.

"You should probably know that this won't be the last then, it's good for business if father's associates come to these events." Groaning quietly I carried on with the friendly act as more people approached.

The night slowly drew to an end and the two of us returned to the 2nd mansion. As I walked through the door I pulled my hair from it's tricoloured bun and allowed it to hang down to my waist once more. Hells in hand I ascended the stair and entered my bedroom, locking the door behind me.

I'd been in Japan less than a week and I'd already had a fight with my fiancé, been dumped for another girl, and been dragged to a banquet. Trying to relax from the night's taxing event, I stripped out of the beautiful dress and pulled on an oversized shirt. A knock on the door caught my attention while I was tying my hair in a ponytail. "Yeah?" I called out, asking what they wanted. "I just thought I'd let you know that the host club is having a graduation ball in a few weeks and that you can come if you want." Nodding I tightened my hair in it's fastenings and walked towards the en suite. "I'll think about it." With that I washed off my make up; glad to be free of the substances covering my face. Satisfied with my hygiene I sat on my bed and my mind crept up on me causing dark thoughts to trap me. Then the tears started again. I didn't even care that I was crying once more, I just cared about the big gaping hole that was where my heart should have been. I knew these thoughts would continue for a long time.


	12. From Bad To Worse

It had been a week since the social event. A week since I found out about Adrian seeing another girl. Somehow I was nowhere near as sad about it, but the more I thought about it the more obvious it seemed. He'd been acting weirdly for several weeks and I guess I knew it was coming to an end. It still hurt though, especially with how it ended. I had decided a couple of days earlier that I wanted to go to the club and experience what happened there without worrying about Adrian disapproving. I sat with the girls around René once again, and once again he would slip in the occasional comment in French. Though most of the girls couldn't understand the compliments they still swooned, probably to do with French being the language of love.

Once club hours were over I watched the students file out of the gates while what was left of the host club had a meeting. Their voices reached my ears but I still didn't know what they were saying except for recognizing the occasional name. It was oddly relaxing. I wouldn't say I was really friends with any of them except René and maybe Mori. It always seemed to be Mori that I stayed by when I was dragged along on group outings, though they'd become less frequent as there had been a couple more dinners for various charities.

About half an hour later the meeting concluded and I noticed Haruhi take René off to the side, a troubled look on her face. The twins had already left after teasing me lightly for not knowing their language and Kyoya seemed to just be waiting for us so he could lock up the room. I could hear René and Haruhi's voiced but not only were they speaking Japanese, but they were hushed so I wouldn't have been able to understand anyway. Finally Haruhi turned and left the room leaving a shocked looking René behind. Kyoya didn't seem to have noticed being to busy writing something in the black book of his. Walking up to René I gently touched his arm, unsure of how he'd react. His face was just sort of... Blank. "René? What is it?"

"She... I lost her..." His gaze fell on me, something I couldn't place burning in his eyes. "And it's all your fault." His tone was firm, shocking me and making me flinch back. With that he left, leaving me to hurry after him.

He didn't look at me on the way home, or once we got there, and he went straight to his room and didn't come out. "René, what do you mean?" I whispered to myself as I sat on my bed. Considering the few words he'd said to me I could easily guess that Haruhi had broken up with him, but why was it my fault? What could I have possibly done to cause that? It's not like I wanted to marry him in the first place. We'd even worked out a way to keep them together... Standing up with new fire in my heart I pulled my boots back on and hurried down to the entrance. Haruhi's place was about a ten minute drive so that would mean about an hour of walking; I could do that. As I walked out of the estate I pulled my hair up into a pony tail, only my vibrantly coloured bangs hanging loose. Hoping I was still as fit as I had been I started to jog, heavy footsteps thumping on the ground as I went. I didn't care if I ended up with shin splints again, it had happened enough times that I was used to it by now. The wind licked at my bare arms as I ran, why couldn't I have worn a jumper or something today? But then, crop tops and military vests are more comfortable. After a couple of block my breathing started to get more laboured but I couldn't stop, I had to get to her apartment.

I managed to get about half way there before having to stop and walk the rest of the way. Running had never been my strong point, but I had improved drastically over the years, especially since it seemed I could now job fifteen minutes non stop. Soon enough I walked by the park I had gotten lost at and frowned determinedly; I had to find out why she had left him. My breathing had evened out in the half hour it had taken me to get there and I could only hope my face was no longer bright red. Spotting her complex just down the road I started jogging again; it was going to start getting dark soon.

"Haruhi!" I called out, knocking mercilessly on her apartment door. Her father, Ranka, opened the door looking gorgeous in a red dress. He seemed a bit surprised to see me but called Haruhi to the door anyway. As she turned into the foyer she froze, a glare crossing her face. "What are you doing here?" She asked in English. Taking a deep breath I looked her in the eye, a stony expression on my face. "Why?" During this exchange Ranka had left the complex. Haruhi walked forward, right up to the door and held it tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Go away, Odessa-san." The door slammed shut in my face. Angry tears welled up in my eyes, my shoulders shook and I hit the door with my fist. "Don't give me that bullshit Fujioka! He fucking loves you, how could you do this to him!?" The Ukrainian burst from me, knowing that she wouldn't have listened anyway. I dragged myself from the door to the stairs outside her neighbour's home. "What could possibly have made her do this?" It made no sense; she obviously loved him, and he would do anything for her.


	13. Silence

René had been locked up in his room for the past five days. I'd been to Ouran Academy to see what was going to happen about the host club especially with the ball in just a week and had been told that they were using the excuse 'Sorry ladies, Tamaki has the flu' for why he was away. Every single day as soon as club hours were over I would leave the 2nd Suoh mansion and go to Haruhi's apartment, still trying in vain to talk to the girl who caused René so much pain. Even if she closed the door and locked me out telling me to leave, I would sit with my back again the door and talk to her as best as I could. I'd told her that he still hadn't left his room, that at night I would hear him crying or having nightmares, that he barely ate what was sent up to his room. Still she didn't let me in, and it really ripped into my heart what she was doing. I didn't want René to go through the pain that I myself had been feeling for the past couple of weeks; the hollow pain that crush my heart. Again and again I apologized for whatever it was I had done to cause this rift between the two, but it seemed futile.

"Please come out René, you can't stay like this." I murmured as I once again found myself sitting outside the locked door to René's room. This had happened multiple times over the past few days and it was all I could do to not try and kick the doors open. Faint footsteps signalled him moving about but I did my best to not get my hopes up. When I heard the lock click however I sprung to my feet, eagerly waiting for him to open the door. "René?" I asked gently as it cracked open. He ignored me and walked straight past and down the stairs. The glimpse of his face I managed to catch showed paler skin than normal and dull eyes. In the three weeks I'd been in Japan I had never seen him without the spark of optimism in his eyes and it made me feel unsettled. Following him I stood in the doorway of the living room and watched as he put in a DVD. He sat on the couch and pressed play revealing a video of the two of them hanging out, snippets of dates and such. It pulled at my heart even more knowing that she wouldn't even talk to him.

"Why did she say it was my fault?" I asked quietly. Though he didn't reply I know he heard me, he'd quickly glanced in my direction before looking back to the screen. Looking at the ground I turned and walked into the foyer just to find one of the maids holding a phone. "Tamaki-sama?" She asked me, inquiring as to whether he was still in his room. Pointing to the living room she smiled in relief that he was finally out. I'd talked to various servants and found they were all worried about him; it was so out of character for him to do that. They knew what had happened, they'd heard me shouting at him on that first day but chose to leave it.

Hearing René's voice in the other room I tried to listen only to find he was speaking Japanese. Moments later I heard a frustrated yell and he stormed into the foyer where I was still standing. "There's a dinner tonight, they're revealing out _engagement._" The emphasis he put on the word engagement made me flinch inwardly. He must have hated me and I still didn't know why. Nodding lightly I turned towards the stairs, "I'm sorry René, I really am." Without looking back to see if he'd acknowledged me I climbed the stairs and returned to my room. Due to the various events I'd attended I had about a dozen dresses to choose from. Deciding with something I hadn't already worn I climbed into the shower and tried to relax. I watched numbly as bubbles swirled on the shower floor before sliding down the drain. Soon enough I was clean and examining myself in the mirror; I'd need to touch up the roots of my streaks again soon but it wasn't noticeable yet. Quickly I applied light make up, making my large green eyes seem even larger and my full lips fuller. Pulling my hair into a neat bun I left my bangs out and made sure they weren't too messy. Sighing I looked down at myself and scanned over the various marks and scars covering my body. Quickly I moisturised my smooth legs and put on some deodorant before finding my dress for the night; a light floor length gown in the same green as my eyes, a gauzy texture with silver beading around the waist and looping as a halter-neck from the middle of the sweetheart neckline. Sliding into it I admired the gown in the full length mirror only to feel like I shouldn't be wearing it. Sure it made me look gorgeous, but I wasn't an aristocrat; I was a 'commoner' in a foreign country that couldn't speak the language and barely understood what was being said to me.

Waiting for the time we had to leave I sat and painted my nails silver; neutral but still matching the dress.


	14. Announcement

We pulled up to the venue in a stretch limo, René had briefly mentioned that there would be a translator there for me. It was a large banquet hall and it appeared that there were already a few hundred people there. We entered the hall and a few people turned to look but paid no mind to me as I followed René inside. All attention was on him, not the girl nearby that happened to be me. We'd met with the translator just before entering so they probably assumed he was my date instead of René.

-

Odessa was off to the side conversing with her translator while I received greetings from multiple guests. Of course they didn't know the reasoning for this banquet, probably assuming it was another charity event. "Ah, hello Suoh-san, it's nice to see you again." A man was talking to me, he seemed familiar and I quickly placed him as one of father's associates. "Do you know the reason for this banquet?" Shaking my head politely I allowed the host side of me to take over. "I'm sorry I don't, my father organized it." He nodded in understanding and wished me a good night before going off to mingle with others. I felt completely numb, my chest was hollow and everything hurt but I had to put up a strong front for the night.

Father was across the room socializing, charming his guests. I could also see my friends and peers from school; something as important as this would of course be publicized in the school, especially seeing as father was the chairman. "Tamaki-kun~" several of the girls called out as they noticed me. Smiling politely I made my way towards them to interact.

-

I'd tried making small talk with my translator but neither of us were overly interested. He spoke French, English, and Japanese so he could translate to anyone here but I didn't like the idea of needing a translator. It also seemed like René, Yuzuru, Shizue, and I knew the reason for the banquet. One or two people would look over at me and I got the occasional compliment on my dress but other than that I was pretty much ignored for the first hour or so.

After a long boring hour it was announced that it was time to eat. At the head table Shizue and Yuzuru sat in the main seats while René sat to their left and I to his. The food looked and smelled amazing. I tried a little bit of several things but really I had no appetite, and it would seem René was the same. A small amount of food sat untouched on his plate as he waited patiently for the meal to pass. Not bothering to try and communicate with him I picked up my napkin and folded it repeatedly. Nobody paid me any attention and for that I was glad, but I felt increasingly awkward in my situation. I couldn't understand what anyone was saying as it was all small talk. On the other side of René's relatives I saw several older gentlemen whom I assumed to be associates of Shizue and Yuzuru's.

Finally the meal ended and everyone was handed a glass of champaign while Yuzuru stood to speak. This was it, this was when I was going to stop being a nobody and start being René's fiancée.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," my translator, Sanji, repeated after Yuzuru spoke. "As many of you know, I did not include the occasion for this banquet on the invitations. I would like you all to know that my son, Tamaki Suoh, has been engaged." Cheers erupted throughout the room, congratulating us even though neither of us wanted to be in this situation. "Thank you. Now I'd like to introduce you to my soon to be daughter-in-law, all the way from Switzerland, Odessa Revun." Sanji then motioned for me to stand while the guests were all applauding. Doing so, I looked down to hide the sadness that lined my face. As soon as it died down I immediately sat and let my bangs fall in my face. Then dinner was over and it was time to socialize again. As I walked through the hall I saw girls who must have gone to school with René looking at me and whispering to one another. The host club, minus Haruhi, were all in attendance but they were with René so I wouldn't attempt to start a conversation. "Sanji, when can I leave?" He looked over to me a smiled lightly, "as soon as Tamaki-sama finishes what he's doing." Nodding slowly I headed towards the courtyard. A fountain was situated in the centre and there was a clear view of a cloudless sky. It was breathtaking. Stars swirled through the sky wildly but as beautiful as it was it just worsened my mood. Somewhere under this sky Adrian was with another girl who was probably much better than me.

"Revun-Sama it's time to leave" I heard Sanji speaking from the doorway. Rising from where I was sitting on the edge of the fountain I entered the hall. Luckily I'd escaped before I could have been bombarded with 'congratulations' from the guests. Following Sanji out to the limo I saw René was already sitting inside waiting to leave. "I'm glad they didn't make us dance," my voice filled the empty compartment. René just looked at me blankly for a moment. "Why is that?" Feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment I looked at my lap. "I can't dance, I never learned."


	15. Dancing Lessons

Even though it was extremely obvious René was still furious with me, he put it aside to teach me how to dance. The ball was in just a few days and I was finally getting the hang of waltzing. Today I was meant to be learning to do it in heels; something I was dreading as I'd never really worn heels before.

"Why are you even teaching me if you hate me?" His dark violet eyes weren't quite as cold as they had been, but that was probably just because he can't hold a strong grudge. "Because, seeing as you're my fiancée I have to bring you to the graduation ball as my date, and for that you need to be able to dance." Standing up in the heels that the twins had supplied me with I stumbled over to him, nearly rolling my ankle in the process. "Is there a reason I have to wear heels though?" He didn't answer, simply held a hand out to me. Other than my legs shaking with each step it was fine, but when I was meant to spin I knew it wouldn't work; I slipped, falling to the ground and rolling my ankle in the process. "Ah, ow..." I heard him sigh before he knelt to inspect the damage. "Fine, don't wear heels. Just don't complain when you're shorter than everyone else." Looking up at his cold eyes I frowned. "Why would I? I don't mind being short." His eyes closed and I could hear him exhale. A small, tired smile appeared but it didn't reach his eyes, the spark was still gone. Though he acted his usual clumsy, happy-go-lucky self around the hosts and clients, around me he was so dark and tired. I lifted a hand to caress his cheek only to have him grimace and pull away.

-

How could she try and comfort me when it was entirely her fault that I'd lost the one woman I loved? If it wasn't for her Haruhi wouldn't have felt so threatened, I wouldn't have been forced to attend all those events without her, I wouldn't have been so hard to talk to because I wouldn't have been so busy. If it wasn't for Odessa none of this would have happened.

If it wasn't for Odessa her family would be lost.

I was stuck; half of me was furious, wishing none of this had ever happened, wishing I'd never had to meet Odessa and that we didn't have to get married. But then there was the other half that understood to a degree what she was going through. She'd explained what had happened with her family that first day she was in Japan... Her family had been new money, but they'd lost everything and gone into debt after the stock market crashed. If she hadn't agreed to this they could have ended up homeless with three young children. Oh how she loved those kids; it was obvious when she talked about them. They way her eyes lit up as she described what Mikhail had done at his fifth birthday, or about how the twins loved playing house and how Aneta wanted to be just like her. Then everything with Adrian had happened.

The loss of Haruhi just seemed to make her life pale in comparison to what I was going through. I'd lost my mother and been forced to come to Japan where I made friends and found love, but now that love was gone and everything seemed pointless. The pain in my chest grew every day and I didn't know how much longer I could stand it, but I had to put on a smile for my friends and for the girls who paid to spend time with me.

How could I forgive her when she caused me all this pain?

-

Getting up, I slipped off the heels and stretched my injured ankle. The twins appeared on either side of me, each with an arm around my shoulder. "So do you not like our mother's work?" Hikaru started, causing me to turn to Kaoru for his line. "She worked so hard on those shoes..." Shrugging out from the arms I stepped away, their merciless grins making me nervous. "If either of you try something I will punch you into next week." Kaoru's eyes welled up with fake tears, causing Hikaru to automatically go into 'brotherly-love' mode. Faking a gag, I limped away to where Kyoya was sitting on a couch. "I hope you do not expect a conversation, Odessa-san." Shaking my head I simply plopped down beside him, still stretch my sore ankle. After a moment a sigh reached my ears and Kyoya placed his notebook on the table before kneeling down beside me. His long fingers caressed my injured appendage and rubbed circles into the muscle. "Please don't thank me, the quicker Tamaki finished teaching you to dance the quicker we can get back to hosting and earning money." I coked my head as he massaged my foot. "Kyoya, are you going to miss being a host?" He fingered paused for a moment before he answered, too slowly for me to believe him, "of course not, I'll be glad to be rid of this club." Pretending I hadn't noticed the hesitation I smiled my thanks before standing and walking back to René. He didn't say anything and as we danced I could feel how tense he was being that close to me. "Thank you for teaching me, René... I always wanted to dance but I never got the chance." He ignored me and as soon as we finished with the lesson he returned to the hosts and became his happy go lucky self. While we were dancing he had his host smile on, but it was just to save face. Only two days to go before the ball; that was going to be a night I'd want to forget.


	16. Graduation Ball

The dance hall of Ouran Academy was decorated beautifully. I watched as the hosts welcomed their guests with open arms, but I couldn't help but notice how far away René and Haruhi were from one another. From photos I knew they had always stood side by side, but now they were on opposite ends of the line of hosts.

The girls filled the hall, eagerly awaiting the dance and hoping desperately that they would get to dance with one of the handsome men hosting it. I zoned out, not bothering to listen to the welcome speech; balls really weren't my cup of tea. Soon music was playing; girls dancing, hosts hosting, and I was sitting to the side holding back tears. I didn't like like school dances, but Adrian had often humoured the idea of dragging me along to his end of year ball. We should have been dancing together back in Switzerland, but instead I was stuck here in a country where I still didn't know the language after a month, and the only person I could really talk to hated me.

The night went by slowly, and so far I had just been sitting here doing nothing in a dress that I should have been dancing in. It was getting a bit warm inside as well so I stood and made my way around the outside of the hall, catching girls staring accusingly at me as I went. They all hated me because I was being forced to marry a guy they were all desperately in love with. It almost made me laugh; they didn't know him at all, only his host personality and his silly antics which had slowly been returning. I'd gladly swap with one of them but then my family would be screwed. They chilly night air hit me as soon as I stepped into the empty courtyard. Clear skies hung overhead filled to the brim with stars. Leaving the view of the ballroom I sat on a stone bench and felt the tear break through my resolve. Hot liquid grief rolled down my cheeks, the hole in my chest just grew and grew as I listened to the happy chatter and music just inside. The music slowly faded out, and all of the guests went out onto the balcony while the hosts stood at the top of the stairs. René held a microphone and he was announcing something causing the girls to all grow anxious. This must have been the 'lady of the night' that Kyoya had told me about; the hosts would announce a special girl who would then get a kiss from the host of her choice. I watched from a distance; beneath a tree by the maze. They wouldn't have noticed me seeing as all of the girls were focused intently on René. After a short pause he spoke; his low voice the only sound other than crickets and the very quiet background music. "Hoshigaki Yuki" I smiled faintly as the lucky girl descended the stairwell gracefully; her dark brown hair in ringlets around a pretty face and her pale blue dress making her look like a real princess. She walked straight up to René and he leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

If what Kyoya told me was right, next was the second to last dance which was just for the winner and her host of choice. I watched as they re-entered the room and the music grew louder again. Tears came to my eyes again, "I just wanted to dance with you, Adrian..." Standing, I allowed the black gauzy layers of my dress fell to the ground gracefully and readjusted the silver and black strapless bodice. Slowly I walked towards and up the stairs just in time to see René bow to the pretty girl and for Kyoya to announce something; most likely the last dance. Entering the hall once more I felt the goosebumps on my arms disappear with the warmth of the hall. I watched as Kaoru walked up to René to tell him something and I could see his face drop before he turned to look around. Spotting me he plastered on an obviously fake smile, though nobody else noticed, and came up to me. "I believe since you're my date we have to share this dance." His voice was the same as his smile; fake cheer that I could see straight through. I took his extended hand and allowed him to lead me into the dance floor where the other hosts were waiting with their partners. Soon enough we were dancing and it took all I had not to accidentally stand on his feet as we moved. Never had I been more glad for ballet flats, though I would have much preferred my boots they would have been inappropriate. "Well at least now I can actually talk to you," I murmured looking him in the eye; those armoured orbs stared straight back. "Every day that you were locked in you room I walked all the way to her house and begged her to reconsider, I told her everything as best as I could; that you wouldn't leave you room, you wouldn't eat, and you wouldn't talk to anyone. I apologized more times than I can count and I got no reply. Even when I could hear her on the other side of the door. I still have no idea why I'm to blame for this, but I am truly sorry; I never wanted to come here. I never wanted to cause any issues, but it seems I have." As soon as I finished he looked away, eyes still guarded. "I don't know if I can forgive you, Odessa. I need to think things over." Then with one last spin the dance was over. A frown was planted on my face and I couldn't ignore the jealous glares that were directed at me. Of course René would need to be one the last to leave, but I would be the first and just wait outside.


	17. End of Ouran

The ball had been on Friday and now it was Tuesday. It was graduation day.

I couldn't bring myself to go, instead locking myself in my room and trying to drown out my emotions with music. I lay on my bed, curled in the foetal position wearing lounge pants and a baggy button-up shirt. Tears stung my eyes and left them burning. The blanket beneath my head was soaked already and my body was shaking. The music was loud enough that no one would hear my cries, in fact it was so loud the room was vibrating.

All I wanted in life was to finish school, go to university, get a job, and have a family. Now most of that was impossible. I was seventeen, a high school drop-out who had done odd jobs for even a few dollars to go towards my family, now being forced to marry a man I didn't love who probably hated me, and it was all just piling up higher and higher. "It should be me, I-I should be graduating too." I bawled into the soft blankets under me, my soft toy owl held close to my chest. It didn't bother me that my hair was a mess, it didn't bother me that my face was red or that my eyes were swollen from the tears. "I just w-wanted a normal life..."

-

I sat on the graduation stage, as one of the top in the year I the valedictorian. One by one my friends and classmates came up to receive their graduation diplomas and become adults. Soon enough the last one claimed their diploma and it was time for my speech.

"Ouran Academy; one of the most prestigious schools in Japan. I'm honoured to have been a student here for the past several years." The crowd was silent before me, the only thing I heard was my heartbeat.

"When I cam to Ouran, I had no friends in Japan. Then Ootori Kyoya came up to me and together we founded the host club. I've made so many great friends and met so many amazing people, and for that I would like to thank everyone. This school, it's something that no matter what we will all share as we all came here, learned amazing things, met amazing people, and lived out our high school years doing the best we could. I can't wait to leave and continue with my life, but Ouran Academy will always have a special place in my heart. Everything we've been through, we've experienced together. Thank you." Cheers erupted as I finished, and I saw father standing to the side, a proud smile on his face. The emptiness in my chest faded slightly at that.

-

It had been hours and I'd had to change CD's several times, but I was still just lying on my bed. The servants were wise enough to leave me alone after I screamed at one in Ukrainian. The hole in my chest just continued to grow and I marvelled at how I was still alive. At some point I'd ended up in my underwear and my fingers were absently tracing the scars on my legs. No more tears came to my eyes, instead I lay nearly motionless; feeling completely numb. What would happen if I died? Would my family get any money from my passing? It was so tempting to go over to my balcony and fly. Could I fly? I didn't know but I wanted to.

If only I wasn't scared of heights.

-

The after party was in full swing; music playing and all of us graduates were having fun. Kyoya stood beside me as a group of girls came up to us, "Would it be okay for us to have one last go with the King of the Host Club?" Smiling graciously I looked to Kyoya, who must have been feeling sentimental as he didn't charge them. "Why of course Princess; I'm going to miss you most of all." Her cheeks reddened at that and I felt myself slip into the atmosphere, a genuine smile painting itself on my features. Kyoya took some of the girls while I entertained the others briefly. I couldn't think of a better way to end my high school career.

-

I watched the water swirl down the drain slowly, dragging bubbles and tears along with it. As I watched I could just picture my emotions swirling down that drain right along with the liquid, a weight lifted from my shoulders but I couldn't help but feel disgusted with myself. It had gotten so bad... How could I let it get this bad? If only I hadn't had to move to Japan in the first place. My family had never found out, and Adrian always changed the subject when it came up, but it was still there. This depression fuelled pit that I had been sinking into more and more each day for the past year. Everything had got so much harder after Adrian and I broke up, but I still tried not to let it win; that didn't stop me from slipping up a few times though.

I was back on my bed, my mind completely empty except for the lyrics of each song that filled the silence of the mansion. It was now the early hours of the morning and I just couldn't sleep. I couldn't feel anything. Between songs I heard footsteps walking through the hall outside and got up to see if it was René home from the graduation party. Just as I peeked my head out the door I saw his close and decided to turn off my music so he could sleep.

Hours passed boringly and I was still stuck in my fit of insomnia. Going on autopilot I slipped out of bed, still wearing a long shirt, and left my room. I needed Mum. I was sad I needed Mum. Without even realizing what I was doing I quietly opened the door and climbed into bed before the tear once again started, silently this time. More out of habit than anything else; I curled up in Mum and Dad's bed and just let the tears out. That way Mikhail wouldn't be looking across the room at me from his bed in out small room and ask what was wrong.

"G'night Mikhail..." I slurred to myself as I finally drifted off to sleep.


	18. Unwelcome Information

_I was running, why was I running? The footsteps grew closer, the laughter grew louder, and the hands were now clawing at me. With each swipe of sharp nails against my body I felt my flesh tearing from m__y figure__. Why were they chasing me?_

-

Drowsily I opened my eyes, not quite awake yet. Why was there something warm against my back? 'Kuma-chan...?" Then it moved. Jumping awake I spun around and froze where I sat. What the hell was she doing in my bed!? Then I saw her move again, her arms writhing slightly. Quickly I turned her onto her back and noticed her eyes moving rapidly under their lids, she flinched at my touch. "What are you- Why are you having a nightmare?" Stupid girl. Shaking her roughly I tried to wake her with no success. "Odessa, wake up!" I called right by her ear. Her body flinched once more and then she was tense. "Wha-" Her voice was groggy but even through the thickness of it I could hear the fear in her voice. Her hands were shaking. "That's my line. Why are you in my room, and more importantly, why are you in my bed?" I said, my voice even but on the inside I was confused and angry. I'd had such a good night only to wake up to this. "I-I was... I wanted my Mum." Then I noticed her face; eyes swollen and dried tear-lines running down her cheeks. "She... I always go to Mum's room when I cry. So Mikhail doesn't see." I could feel my eyes soften at her words. She seemed so fragile, so unsure of herself. I knew I had to forgive her; she wasn't to blame for what happened between Haruhi and me, she was just a scapegoat. Gently I wrapped my arms around her, feeling her trembling hands reach up to return the embrace. As she moved, her shirt rode up and I couldn't help but notice the angry red lines on her thigh. "Odessa, what's that?" Please don't let it be what I think it is. "I-" She cut herself off, taking a breath, and just looked down not saying anything. "I know, I'm disgusting. I'm stupid, and weak, and I can't do anything right." Her words shocked me, did she really think that about herself. "No you're not." I felt my voice tremble. I'd never dealt with anything like this before, but what could possibly have made this girl fall to that level? "Yes I am, if it wasn't for me you and Haruhi would still be together. Everything would be okay and you wouldn't hate me." That cut deep. Had my words, or lack thereof, really effected her that much? "It wasn't your fault, you just gave her an excuse." She looked away, slipping out of the sheets and walking out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. Moments later I heard a loud crash and her voice echoing down the hall; shouting in Ukrainian.

-

As soon as I'd smashed the lamp I broke down and swore. I screamed and swore and cried in confusion. It didn't last long however, I was pretty much out of tears after a whole day and night of crying. Ignored my swollen eyes, I dried my face and pulled on some lounge pants before exiting and going to eat something. Maybe that little bit of rage was the end. But... If it wasn't my fault, why did they blame me? Pushing those thoughts from my mind I saw a maid motioning for me with a phone. "Yuzuru-Sama," was her only explanation. Nodding I took the phone, coughing to clear my throat before answering. "Yes?" His voice was hesitant on the other end; I could only hope nobody had called him about my little tantrum. "Wait, what? A month!?" His voice on the other end grew more confident. "I... Yeah I can tell him." Hanging up I returned the phone to the maid. Completely forgetting the food I was going to get I ran back up the stairs and knocked vigorously on René's bedroom door. "What is it?" He asked as he opened the door. He seemed hesitant, probably having heard me earlier. "Uh, you're dad just called." His head cocked to the side, confusion painting his naive face. "He said that the, uh, the wedding is in a, um, month." My eyes were screwed shut in caution. Cracking one open I saw a shocked look on his face. "In... A month?" Nodding slightly, I watched as he just closed the door.

A week later René and I sat in the living room with several wedding organizers; food, decorations, and invitations. Luckily they all spoke French or English so I could communicate without needing to speak Japanese and the little bit of help I need with my English René would provide by saying it in Japanese. "So, what do you think of Gold and white?" The decorator, Yumino Karako, asked in English. Cringing inwardly I looked to René only to see he was considering it. "How about black, white, and silver?" I asked, hoping it would be acceptable. He looked over to me along with Karako, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That could work," his voice was soft, genuinely interested in that decision. "That sounds nice, but what would be the base colour? We could have a white base with black as a secondary colour and the silver as trimming." Nodding at the idea I gave it the okay. We'd already figured out the general layout; as many tables as needed split equally on either side of the walkway, each with five seats. The wedding would take place at a nice coastal hotel and my family would be flown out for the event as well as being supplied with the clothing. I'd already given no room for argument on the details of my siblings roles. The twins were going to be the flower children and Mikhail would be the ring-bearer. René and I ware still completely against the idea of marrying one another but we had to suck it up. We couldn't change what was happening.

"The invitations can follow that colour scheme, white roses with a silver background blending to black at the edges. What colour for the writing though?" René suggested. Of course he would pick white roses, they were his signature thing. "If the silver is dark enough we could use white," the invitation designer replied to which both of us agreed. Her French was a little ill-pronounced but it was easy enough to figure out what she was saying. "How many layers for the cake? What flavour?" Looking to René I bit my lip. "Would you prefer chocolate or vanilla? I'd rather not get too fancy with the flavouring." His eyes closed in thought for a moment, and they were still closed when he opened his mouth to answer, "Chocolate with four layers," the caterer glanced between us, writing down our decision before talking. "Okay, quad-chocolate, would you want chocolate icing with that? Okay I could make it white chocolate to fit with the colour scheme and add silver decorations to it." That sounded good, and René seemed to agree.


End file.
